Choose Life

We've had a fine holiday week at home, mostly because the sun has shone - proper hot sun with top temperatures, the lot. So it's been Kew Gardens, the seaside, sausage barbecuing at the back, that sort of thing. We also saw the Olympic torch relay through Richmond which, hulking great sponsor lorry crassness aside, was strangely moving.

In other news...Trainspotting director Danny Boyle Isles Of Wonder live sheep Beckham torch-ball cast of thousands Macca, er, Muse. Muse?

Underworld.
 
Underworld - 'Beautiful Burnout'  (2007)

Welcome to the greatest city on Earth, world.

Yeah Baby

I've been following Twitter trails to a lot of groovy music lately. Johnny Roast aka J.P's rare soul vinyl things on Soundcloud are especially glorious (are Soundcloud and Mixcloud steadily eclipsing mp3 blogs as a way of sharing and discovering great music? Probably).

I'm finding too that there are a lot of podcasted soul shows out there from specialist stations in both the UK and US; the archetype is great selections made by real enthusiasts, though you do sometimes have to tolerate rather hospital-radioey presenter styles.

I heard this last night on one such, loved it instantly and had to buy.

Classic soul horn sound.

Smokin'.

Adriana Evans - 'Waiting' (2010)

New York - London - Tokyo

Lifting this wet Monday morning in London with the sunny Sunday afternoon in NYC this song describes: perfect.

An internet trail story here - how playing Yasuko Agawa's 'L.A Night' (continued thanks to glen) led me to the list of her most played tracks on Last FM led me to the nu-bossa B-side of that 12" led me to uncovering this uptempo 2009 remix from Quasimode - 'a four piece jazz band based in Tokyo, Japan' - led to general joy.

The vocal version by Eddie Jefferson of the composer's original is a bit groovy too.

Yasuko Agawa - 'New York Afternoon (Quasimode Remix)' (2009)

Sans Culottes

It's Bastille Day tomorrow, vive la revolution and all that = a fine (ok, flimsy) excuse for posting a pin-up of prime time Bardot and a one of her pert poppy platters from the 60s.

Joyeux quatorze French amis: you have shown me nothing but kindness over the years, and thanks for all the cheese.

Salut!

Brigitte Bardot - 'Tu Veux, Tu Veux Pas' (1962)

A Man Of England

Whilst great chunks of Britain are getting apocalyptic rain, in London this week we've had showers and then bursts of stinky hot sunshine. A bit tropical. It's confusing, musically. The weather always influences what I want to hear and by now it should be unbroken Balearica and things from Brazil, but those pesky clouds and dark spells keep knocking me back to winter. Am I coming or am I going? I really don't know.

We're off to see that nice Mr Albarn's Dr Dee show tonight at the English National Opera, no less. I don't imagine there'll be any stagediving but apparently there are live crows.

We'll walk there from Waterloo: rain or shine.

Chin chin.

Damon Albarn & Ray Davies - 'Waterloo Sunset (live on The White Room)' (1995)

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